Behringer XENYX 502 Compact Analogue Mixer

Behringer XENYX 502 Mixer

The Behringer XENYX 502 is the original five-input, two-bus analogue mixer in the XENYX range: a compact desktop console with one XENYX microphone preamp and two stereo line channels for combining a small set of sources. This is the analogue-only model. It has no USB audio interface, so it belongs in front of powered speakers, a power amplifier or a separate recording interface rather than connected directly to a computer.

Everything is laid out on the top panel for small, fast jobs: a solo microphone plus playback or keyboard sources for a small gig, a rehearsal room, a presentation setup or a home studio front end where one voice and a couple of stereo sources are all that need mixing.

Key features

• Five inputs: one microphone channel and two stereo line channels
• One phantom-powered XENYX mic preamp with 10 dB to 60 dB gain range
• Neo-classic British two-band EQ on the microphone channel
• Main mix outputs plus separate headphone output
• CD and tape inputs and outputs, assignable to headphone output or main mix
• Ultra-low-noise, high-headroom analogue design
• Analogue mixer only; no USB audio interface fitted

The microphone channel

The single mono channel is the centre of the 502. Its XENYX preamp accepts microphones through the XLR input, including condenser types that need phantom power, and line-level sources through the jack input. Gain is set with the trim control, the two-band British-style EQ adds warmth or clarity at the top and bottom, and pan and level controls place the voice in the main mix. One good microphone channel is exactly what announcements, solo performance and voice recording setups actually use.

Stereo sources and the two-track section

Two stereo line channels take keyboards, media players, electronic instruments and other stereo sources, each with its own level and balance control. The separate CD and tape section handles an additional playback device and an external recorder at the same time. Those inputs can be sent to the main mix or only to the headphones, which is how you play music between sets without it reaching the room, or record a performance while monitoring it separately.

Outputs and monitoring

The main mix leaves on quarter-inch jacks at up to +22 dBu, feeding powered speakers or an amplifier, while the headphone output has its own level control for checking the mix up close. The circuit figures behind the design are respectable for a mixer of this size: frequency response extending from below 10 Hz to 150 kHz at the minus 1 dB points, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 110 dB on the microphone path.

Who it suits

The XENYX 502 suits solo performers, small venues, classrooms, places of worship and home recordists whose source list is genuinely small: one microphone and a few stereo playback or instrument sources, mixed cleanly to one stereo output.

Count your microphones before anything else: if one is enough, the XENYX 502 gives you a proper preamp, musical EQ and flexible monitoring in a very small box.